Jamu is a traditional immune booster juice from Indonesia with turmeric, ginger, garlic, and other healthy ingredients. It’s considered a ”medicine” in Bali due to several health benefits. You can enjoy the drink cold or warm.
When visiting Bali, there is luckily no way around Jamu – the traditional herbal drink that is supposed to boost your immune system and refresh your body. I remember when I had my first Jamu after a long stroll along the streets of Ubud. It was such a great refreshment and it totally got me. So I was drinking Jamu as often as I could during my visit and I noticed, that every “Warung” (Balinese traditional restaurant) is offering a slightly different version of Jamu. Some were sweeter, some were spicier and some were more watery… And then, at one of my last days in Bali, I had this one Jamu drink that just killed it! This one was spicy, intense, pure, and just different than many other ones. While the most common version of Jamu is made of turmeric and ginger, this version also includes onion, garlic, apple cider, lemon juice, and black pepper. And does my recipe.

What is Jamu?
It wasn’t until my trip to Bali that I discovered Jamu juice, which is an Indonesian medicine made from natural ingredients including roots, fruits, and other natural ingredients.
While the most common form of Jamu is made of fresh turmeric and ginger, I prefer the version that combines even more healthy components. For my Jamu recipe, I combine turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and agave syrup.
The all natural Indonesian tonic has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body and boosts your immune system.

Thing to keep in mind when making Jamu
- Please keep in mind, that turmeric can stain! So wash your hands and kitchen utensils after using.
- The recipe is quite flexible and you can also leave ingredients out if you like.
- Instead of water, you can also use coconut water.
- The drink will get spicier when you keep it for a few days.
- You can keep Jamu for about 6-7 days in the refrigerator.

Jamu – Balinese Health Elixir
PrintIngredients
- 25g fresh turmeric (peeled)
- 50g fresh ginger (peeled)
- 1 onion (peeled)
- 2 cloves of garlic (peeled)
- 1 liter of water (4 cups )
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and slice the turmeric, ginger, onion, and garlic.
- Add the turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, black pepper and water into a blender. Blend on high speed for about a minute, until it’s a smooth mixture.
- Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then add the lemon juice, agave, and apple cider vinegar and give it a good stir.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or nut milk bag. Once cooled down, pour into a glass bottle and refrigerate.
- Enjoy chilled or warm.
- The Jamu drink will last about 1 week in the fridge.
If you are on Pinterest, you can pin the following picture for later.

Did you try this recipe? Tag your picture with #bloomingwithflavors or mention @bloomingwithflavors.